Jenseits lieblicher Abendröten
by Fee-o-Verte
Summary: An OC-Insert in a young Euron Greyjoy for the purpose of exploring the magic in Planetos. WIP, Sporadic Updates
1. Hingeworfen weit in das brennende Land

_AN: I have given up on only posting finished fics. There are so many WIPs I want to be able to share and discuss. This is the first one, and the newest. Titles of this fic are taken from various poems of Georg Heym. Translation of the Title: Beyond sweet sunsets, and of the Chapter Title: Thrown down far into the burning country  
_

* * *

He never thought he would meet a godly being after he died, especially as he didn't believe, wasn't a nice person and often blasphemed. So, he was rather surprised when he stood before one after bleeding out due to a piece of metal stuck in him. And when the being talked in a thousand voices and didn't send him to hell, well…

"We have come to take you to our world, mortal, there is a task for you." Were its only worlds before it lifted him – his soul? – by the neck and began walking.

"Hey! You! What will be my reward? I won't do anything without a considerable reward!"

"Be silent!" It told him and-

When he woke he was lying on the most uncomfortable bed to ever exist. When he looked around he noticed that the miserable bed stood in a room almost more miserable than it. Where the fuck was he?

As soon as he had though that, the information he sought (and much, much more) came to his mind. But there was only one thing he was recalling clearly: Your name is Euron Greyjoy.

With a heavy headache he woke once more, a child – Aeron? – was calling his name and telling him to wake up, it was apparently time for "breaking the fast".

Fuck, it was true, he was trapped inside insane Euron, he who went so many steps too far. D- (what was his name before? how had he forgotten?) did not want to be here, at all! At least Aeron (?) – he opened his eyes and looked, truly it was little Aeron – was not fearing him, there was still hope… Which year was it?

 _You have landed in the year 278, you are 12 years old. Adapt._

What? Where was that voice coming from? Aeron didn't hear it, obviously, he was still prattling on. Euron was interrupted in his musing with the arrival of another boy – Urrigon Greyjoy, Urri for short – another member of his family the canon Euron would abuse and mistreat horribly. But it had not happened yet, for Urri wasn't afraid of him. Or had it only not happened yet to his family? Had Euron already mistreated others?

 _No! I have sent you here, because Euron has not yet become the monster he would have become, without you. You will never become that monster._

That was the voice of that godly being, and it was here- Keeping a close watch? And helping him? He would never become like canon Euron? A stone fell from his heart, the whole room seemed to brighten. Maybe the whole thing – being in a fictional world because of some being – wouldn't be that bad?

"Brother, how much did you drink last night?"

What? Oh, it had been Urri who spoke. Drinking? Well yes, he was twelve, wasn't he, not that his father would approve if he knew, but he didn't.

"Too much, little terror, to be awoken in such a manner and at this hour." Out of reflex he smiled and winked at them. And they both began to giggle. He knew, knew that they liked him and Euron – Euron, their favourite brother – did…

Nausea crept upon him, and to the appropriate noises of disgust of his little baby brothers, he threw up last night's dinner.

"You really drank too much." was the comment of Aeron while Euron was washing out his mouth with the fresh water a maid placed in his room every day.

Euron only smiled wanly at his brother as a response, being hangover was as good as an excuse as any.

The rest of the day went alright, everyone suspected that he was hangover, and that seemed excuse enough when Euron was a bit slow to react to anything. Or spacing out while having to sort through a new information dump the godly being – for who else would do that? – threw at him. In the evening he was able to act like the Euron his family knew (and loved), an Euron who was dead? But who would have died anyway and became the monster of the canon?

Well D-, whoever he had been before, could live with that death, even with the death of the nice brother Euron.

Maybe the god wanted to replace one monster with another?

* * *

The next few weeks were rather uneventful, and that meant he had almost nothing to do, the only duty he had was training in weapons. Apparently, the reformation his father, Quellon Greyjoy, tried to do didn't even including tutoring for his children by a Maester. There had been someone in the past who taught them all to count, write and read, but that was the extent of their intellectual education. So, he and all his brothers, beside Balon who was the heir, had nothing to do four hours a day. They used the time to explore the castle and its surroundings or play games. Having siblings was great, Euron had much more fun than in his other childhood. At least when he wasn't bored to tears because it was raining too much, or nobody wanted to play the same game again, or…

That would not do! And this was an excellent opportunity to make his public persona a bit more like him. This meant reading books.

He started small. One or two chapters a book about military history (if he had to place it) read during a day it was raining heavily.

Then another chapter, but not too soon afterwards, then another and another until he had read the whole book. Then another book, read a bit quicker, the next one even quicker. And in the end, after months of carefully increasing his reading, everybody accepted that Euron read every day for a few hours.

And his siblings followed him. They didn't read as much as him, and Balon (who was a bit jealous, Euron thought, that his younger brother was the favourite of many in the family) even less. But still, they all had found the joy a book could offer. Praise to his ancestors who put together a reasonably well stocked library.

* * *

Then something happened, the dreams began. Oh, they started out innocent enough, but when Euron dreamed the first time about flying with ravens over Pyke, he knew that his situation had just become much more dangerous. Bloodraven was trying to awaken his "third eye", trying to make him a greenseer. He wasn't surprised that magic or something akin to it existed, he died and had met a godly being and had awakened again. But to have one dangerous magic user interested in him, an interest which could make Euron insane...

Could he resist? Did he want to? What would make him insane and what would not?

After some more dreams, he had at least some answers. He did not want to be caught in Bloodraven's net, in the net of the Old Gods. Resisting was possible, and he hadn't gone insane so far.

Not yet at least. But there was a price none the less. He had stopped reading again, stopped doing anything really. All his energy seemed to be taken away by the fight against something who wanted to – change him. Make him more? No! Lesser. He would not become more, no matter what the raven was telling him.

Even when awake the raven was there. Was there no respite? But what was Euron even thinking, a respite in dreary Westeros?

"Are you sick?" Was now a question his brothers asked him regularly. Fear in their eyes as they had all heard the stories that the children of father's first wife had died of sickness.

"No." Euron answered every time.

"You have stopped to drink months ago, it can't be that. Euron, what is happening if you are not sick?" Was the question his father asked.

"I have weird dreams, nightmares really." Was the answer Euron finally gave. "I am flying in those dreams and then I fall and – crash."

His father did not react as Euron thought he would. He first looked startled, and then fearful.

"Are you able to wake up?"

"No. I… I can't. Do you know what is happening to me?"

His father's lips turned down. "At first there were only rumours… Young children all over the Iron Islands getting dreams just like that. And it was true, one or more every year. Many died at first, or went completely insane, some became even twisted things best not spoken about. Luckily a solution has been found. You and all your younger brothers will sail south tomorrow. This curse often falls upon the younger siblings when an older had been struck with it once. Yes, you will all sail tomorrow and will stay south until Aeron is fourteen."

Euron was speechless. He would have never thought that Bloodraven was searching for greenseers so intently. Was able to stomach that many causalities. In the books… He had always had the impression that Bloodraven trying to awaken the gifts of greenseeing was something he did sporadically. Maybe three or four attempts at the most before he got Bran. Not so often that the Lords knew of the problem, that it was fact, not rumours.

And they had even found a cure, a solution. And it sounded so plausible, Bloodraven needed Weirwoods, didn't he? And if you went south (or east), with enough distance between yourself and a Weirwood, the magic didn't work?

Interrupting Euron's internal monologue, his father spoke again.

"Fear not, son, this will be one of the last nights you will have such a dream. Go and pack your things, I will talk to your brothers. And then organise the ships who will take you all south, and send the ravens to- Hmm, Lord Dayne owes me a favour, I'm sure he will agree to take you in for the next years. I promise you." His father hugged him. And Euron began to cry, his father was helping him, and he would not become insane. "Everything will be taken care of, and I will be able to visit you soon. Fear not." His father was still hugging him and Euron continued crying in relief. Things would become better.

* * *

The next day he and Victarion and Urrigon and Aeron sailed south. They were sort of sad to go, but hopeful that it would help Euron and keep them all safe and interested in Starfall and the South. This was the gist of their chatter, in the first few hours of their journey, during which it was still interesting for his brothers that they were journeying.

Meanwhile, Euron was feeling like reading again, and listened to his brothers talk with one ear. (And ignoring their fond smiles for him, when they saw him more relaxed than he had been in months, finally reading again, smiling even!)


	2. Von toten Städten ist das Land bedecket

_AN: Smaller Chapter. Chapter Title: With dead cities is the country covered_

* * *

Starfall was – different. And not just from Pyke. No, it was not even medieval in style. Oh, the family had done a good job some time in the past, on the first glance (especially from outside) it looked the part for sure. But when you lived in it, free to explore everything…

First off were the toilets, who were cleaned by water. Not modern flush-toilets, but roman like in their built, water running constantly under them.

Then there was the building itself, Euron could tell from the architecture alone that the castle had to have been built with a concrete like substance. A suspicion that was confirmed when he was able to look at certain structures closely.

But the most interesting parts of the castle were the murals. Anatomical correct pictures of humans, that was to be expected from this roman dwelling masquerading as a medieval castle. But the subjects of the murals… The one that had caught Euron's attention the most (the only one he could understand a little) was the picture of what seemed to be that story someone told Daenerys in the book – the one about a second moon who was a huge egg where dragons came from. Only in the mural it wasn't a moon, but clearly another world. He could see continents and island on it. Faint, but still visible. And it wasn't just dragons that came from the destroyed world. No, there were human like creatures, dragons and other creatures coming from it.

Euron had no idea how to interpret the mural, but it was very interesting.

Well, no matter. He could investigate the murals another time. He and his brothers had planned to investigate the Godswood (thankfully without a Weirwoodtree) and Sept today. Both were situated a good distance away from the keep, which was good. They had been cooped up inside for the last week, kept busy with lessons from the Maester and the Master-at-Arms of Starfall. His brothers became more and more restless, not used to having their whole day planned out for them, with only minimal time for themselves. So, on their first free day they went as far away from the main keep as they were allowed to go, which was the Sept and Godswood. (Which was weird too, why were those religious places that far away from the keep?)

* * *

Do you know what always stays the same no matter when or where you are? If Euron would ever have to answer to that question, his answer would be the laughter of children. The laughter of playing children, as it was surrounding him just this moment. Hearing that, could anyone not be happy themselves? It was even better that he was part of the playing, laughing alongside his brothers as they had a water battle in the creek flowing through the Godswood. This was a great day, Euron's felt stronger than ever, and so happy to be able to joke and play with his brothers. Eating their favourite foods, that the cooks had made for them.

Life here was good, the food was more diverse and better, their rooms nicer than those they had in Pyke, it was so, so sunny and green everywhere (as Urri liked to tell everyone who would listen) …

* * *

Over three weeks after the Greyjoy brothers had arrived at Starfall, Lord Dayne and some of his family came back to their homes. Euron and his brothers' departure from Pyke and arrival in Starfall was hasty, but even so, Lord Dayne had arranged everything and took them in. And the good impression Euron had of the man in his absence only strengthened as he got to know Lord Dayne.

The brothers together with all the staff greeted the returning family at the statue in the entrance hall, where Dawn was kept when there was no Sword of the Morning to bear it. Lord Dayne was a large but slender man, with silver hair and purple eyes. His wife, the Lady Dayne looked like she was from a Salty Dornish House, darker skin, dark hair and eyes (and pregnant). Their son Achill took mostly after his father while his younger sister Ashara was a mix of her parents. Euron thought that he and his siblings, all brown haired and brown eyed looked somewhat bland next to their foster family.

After the official greeting was done, including once again, eating bread and salt, Lord Dayne invited them into his solar. The heir to Starfall accompanied them, making small talk along the way. Yes, the food and their rooms were good. It was strange to have to do so much, but fun too, was Victarion's interjection. Urri was once again gushing about how nice trees and green stuff was. Aeron said that he was glad, that they were still near the sea, he would have missed it terribly -the salty wind most of all – if they had to go somewhere else.

"So, in the letter your Lord Father sent to me, he explained that there was an attack on you. Are you allowed to tell me more? Is there anything we can do to keep you safe?" asked Lord Dayne after they were all seated in his solar.

Victarion, Aeron and Urri looked at Euron. A bit shy, he looked at his lap and began to speak. "A few weeks ago, I began having dreams, dreams of flying and then falling down…" He had only ever told this to his father, this was news to his brothers. "The dreams didn't stop and became more and more intense. I felt… as if something was trying to change me. And as soon as Father knew, he sent us all south to you." After he finished, he looked up. His brothers looked surprised, but Lord Dayne and his son did not.

"Dreams can be so dangerous and steal our lives?" asked him Victarion.

Euron tried to answer, but Lord Dayne was faster. "Indeed, they can. Dreams induced by magic can drive people insane and even kill them." He looked very serious. "Your Lord Father did the right thing. I'm glad that he knows of this problem."

"You know about it?" Euron asked a bit bewildered? Was this common knowledge?

"How could we not?" said Achill. "Eventually we had to investigate why there was an influx of Ironborn in our port cities."

Oh- yes that would explain it.

"That- that means you are safe here, aren't you?" asked Urri with a hoarse voice.

Lord Dayne stood up and hugged him. "Fear not, your brothers and you are all safe here from those dreams. They don't manage to reach anyone in Dayne land."

After more hugging and reassurances for all the Greyjoy brothers, it was time for the welcoming feast, which meant they had to change clothes. Another thing Lord Dayne had organised for them, clothes more suited for the heat of Dorne. (Euron was sure it had been Lord Dayne and not their father, as he was convinced sailing and raiding leathers were good for every climate.)

The feast was great, there were many different meat and fish courses as well as legume dishes and fresh fruit. There was music and everyone was merry, laughing almost as much as they talked.


End file.
